Independence Day
When is your Independence Day?
Every year on the Fourth of July, Americans celebrate their independence on Independence Day. This is the day that the final form of the Declaration of Independence was ratified by the Colonial Congress. Though some historians argue for a different date, the fact is that the Fourth of July is on the document. Also three of the five members of congress who drafted it, Thomas Jefferson (who wrote the first draft), Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, all stated that they signed it on the Fourth of July. (Jefferson and Adams also both died on the fiftieth anniversary of the signing.)
The Declaration of Independence was actually signed more than a year after the American Revolution started in 1775 AD.
The British actually call the American Revolution, "The War of Rebellion". For them, the war was not just confined to the original thirteen colonies, but became a global conflict.
In 1776 AD, the Americans sponsored a failed rebellion against Britain in the former French colony of Quebec. The next year, Quebec was dragged into the war by the British. The British also dragged in Hessian soldiers from modern Germany into the war as well. After some American victories, France joined the Americans in war against Britain in 1778 AD, and Spain soon joined France in war against Britain. Inspired by stories of American victories, the kingdom of Mysore in India soon launched a rebellion against British rule as well in 1780 AD. They were allied by the Netherlands, who also declared war on Britain. The American Revolution spiraled into a global war for Britain that did not end until 1784 AD.
However, a more accurate name would be, "The War of British Betrayal".
Britain could have avoided being embroiled in a nine year long international war fought on four continents, if it had not betrayed the colonists in the thirteen original colonies. It also might have kept these colonies, if it had not betrayed the colonists.
The charters that Britain had made to get British citizens to become colonists, had guaranteed military aid to the colonies if they were attacked.
However, when the peace that was enjoyed by Wampanoags and Pilgrims came to an end with the launch of Prince Philip's War, not a single British soldier was sent to aid the colonists during the entire conflict. Britain sent a clear signal to the colonists that they were on their own.
This war was not some minor uprising of the Native Americans against a few colonists. This was the bloodiest war in American history on a percentage basis. Estimates are as high as thirty-five percent of the colonists were killed, and at least twelve of their cities were destroyed. (The Native Americans also lost a large percentage of their population.) Britain had clearly betrayed them.
Worse yet, Britain took advantage of the weakened condition that the war had left the colonies in, to exploit the colonists in new ways. They would make one agreement that included promises of aid in the time of disaster, only turn around and force a new agreement that was more advantageous to Britain, whenever the colonists were weakened by a disaster. The British continued to drive a wedge between them and the colonists ever deeper with betrayal after betrayal.
In like manner, the colonists had been guaranteed to be treated as the same as British citizens in Britain, if they would formed these British colonies in North America. This meant that they would have representation in Parliament as guaranteed by the Magna Carta. Instead, they were denied representation in Parliament. Britain had clearly betrayed them.
After a hundred years of the colonists trying to convince Britain to honor its agreements without success, the colonists finally realized that the British regarded them as little more than slaves to be exploited. British betrayal had left them with no other recourse than to break away from Britain.
So, the colonist formally informed the British that July Fourth, 1776 AD was their Independence Day.
Since that time, many other countries have come to celebrate their own Independence Day, with the largest percentage celebrating independence from Britain. Freedom is contagious.
So is the Declaration of Independence. It has been the model for similar declarations of independence since that time.
Another country with an Independence Day is Liberia. Liberia started out as an American Colony on the Pepper Coast of Africa as a place for free born African Americans, freed African American Slaves, and freed African Caribbean slaves to create their own country. The American Colonization Society created this colony in 1822 AD. Because it was an American colony, none of the European nations tried to colonize it, unlike the rest of Africa.
From the beginning, The American Colonization Society began training the returned Africans there to be self-governing. By 1847 AD, the returned Africans were ready for complete self-governance. So, they issued their own Declaration of Independence, modeled after the American Declaration of Independence. Their injustices listed as causes for separation, all related to slavery in the United States. There was no mention of revolution, since this had always been the goal. This was their Independence Day!
However, Independence Day was not a cause of celebration for everyone in America. Fredrick Douglas asked five years later, "What was the Fourth of July to a slave?". Independence Day did not begin to have meaning to all people in the United States, until after the Civil War ended slavery.
Then in 1898 AD, the Philippines declared independence from Spain, once it was apparent that America was going to decisively win the Spanish-American war. America acquired the Philippines in their victory over Spain. America was not really interested in colonization, and made the Philippines a territory, with the intention of eventual self-governance. Like Liberia, there was an intentional process of transferring more and more authority from the Americans to the natives of the Philippines.
Yet in America, Independence Day was still not a cause of celebration for everyone in America. It only began to have real meaning for most Native Americans, after they were recognized as citizens in 1924 AD. (Some tribes like The Cherokee had been made citizens from the founding of the United States, or shortly thereafter, but most tribes had not.)
Then the process of transference of governance was disrupted, when Japan invaded the Philippines and took it over during World War II. So, shortly after World War II was over, the Philippines became independent of the United States, as planned, on the Fourth of July, 1946 AD. This was the original Independence Day observed in the Philippines, but this had always been the plan. However today, Independence Day in the Philippines is the day that the Philippines originally declared independence from Spain.
The most interesting use of the Declaration of Independence as model to declare independence, is that of Vietnam.
Britain and America agreed after World War II, that every nation should be self-determinate. Shortly after that, Ho Chi Minh declared independence for Vietnam from France, in a declaration that purposely mirrored the Declaration of Independence. He intended to model the independent country of Vietnam after America, in most areas including government and economic systems.
Japan had taken Vietnam from the French in World War II, and America had liberated Vietnam from Japan in the war. Ho Chi Minh thought that the American President, Franklin Delanor Roosevelt, would support his efforts, since the situation between Vietnam and France had been similar to the situation between the original thirteen colonies and Britain.
Instead, when France decided to try to establish French rule over Vietnam again, Roosevelt supported France. Ho Chi Minh may have felt betrayed by Roosevelt, when this happened.
Eventually, Ho Chi Minh was forced to accept help from Communist China, which meant he had to adopt their government and economic systems. America then ended up engaged in a long war, as part of the Cold War strategy to contain communism.
America could have avoided the entire Vietnam War, if Roosevelt had refused to support France in resuming colonial rule over Vietnam, as he had agreed with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Vietnam would also not be suffering under a communist government today.
Still, Vietnam has an Independence Day, to commemorate when it declared independence from both Japan and France, after America liberated it from Japan.
In similar fashion, Rwanda celebrates Liberation Day on the Fourth of July. This commemorates the aid of America in bringing an end to the genocide there in 1994 AD. Freedom knows no borders.
American Independence Day is so inspirational, that it is even celebrated in other countries. Most notable is Denmark, where the largest celebration of this holiday in the world, outside of the United States, is held every year.
Independence Day is also the inspiration for the classic science fiction movie of the same name. In this movie, independence is not declared for one nation from another, but for the entire human race from alien oppressors, who plan to exploit planet Earth to death. This independence is declared on the Fourth of July, and that is the day that the entire human race begins to win its freedom from the alien oppressors.
So, Independence Day is different for different countries around the world, but what they have in common, is that it marks the day that independence from an oppressive power was declared.
All of us have been subject to an oppressive power, that has sought to exploit us our entire life through the fear of death, and we can only be delivered by the only one, who ever overcame death (Hebrews 2:14-15). That is the only way, anyone can have a personal Independence Day.
Sin makes us a slave (John 8:34). All of us have sinned (Romans 3:23).
What is Independence Day to a slave?
We must obey the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) to be made free (John 8:31-32). We need the Man of Truth to set us free from sin (John 8:34-36). The day that happens to us, is our personal Independence Day.
When is your Independence Day?
When I came in total surrender to the Man of Truth on November 13, 1982, that was my Independence Day. That was the day when I took the deal and completed The One Step Program.
When is your Independence Day?
There will also be a day when the Man of Truth returns to deliver this world from the oppressive powers that seek to destroy the human race (Revelation 19:11-21). That will be Independence Day for the entire Earth.
When is your Independence Day?
Finally there will be day, when the Man of Truth destroys the alien powers that has oppressed the human race through the fear of death (Revelation 20:7-10). That will be the greatest Independence Day!
When is your Independence Day?
Your Independence Day is the day that you come into the House of Truth, by making the Man of Truth your supreme commander, because you believe that His Father raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9).
Come into the House of Truth!
Every year on the Fourth of July, Americans celebrate their independence on Independence Day. This is the day that the final form of the Declaration of Independence was ratified by the Colonial Congress. Though some historians argue for a different date, the fact is that the Fourth of July is on the document. Also three of the five members of congress who drafted it, Thomas Jefferson (who wrote the first draft), Benjamin Franklin, and John Adams, all stated that they signed it on the Fourth of July. (Jefferson and Adams also both died on the fiftieth anniversary of the signing.)
The Declaration of Independence was actually signed more than a year after the American Revolution started in 1775 AD.
The British actually call the American Revolution, "The War of Rebellion". For them, the war was not just confined to the original thirteen colonies, but became a global conflict.
In 1776 AD, the Americans sponsored a failed rebellion against Britain in the former French colony of Quebec. The next year, Quebec was dragged into the war by the British. The British also dragged in Hessian soldiers from modern Germany into the war as well. After some American victories, France joined the Americans in war against Britain in 1778 AD, and Spain soon joined France in war against Britain. Inspired by stories of American victories, the kingdom of Mysore in India soon launched a rebellion against British rule as well in 1780 AD. They were allied by the Netherlands, who also declared war on Britain. The American Revolution spiraled into a global war for Britain that did not end until 1784 AD.
However, a more accurate name would be, "The War of British Betrayal".
Britain could have avoided being embroiled in a nine year long international war fought on four continents, if it had not betrayed the colonists in the thirteen original colonies. It also might have kept these colonies, if it had not betrayed the colonists.
The charters that Britain had made to get British citizens to become colonists, had guaranteed military aid to the colonies if they were attacked.
However, when the peace that was enjoyed by Wampanoags and Pilgrims came to an end with the launch of Prince Philip's War, not a single British soldier was sent to aid the colonists during the entire conflict. Britain sent a clear signal to the colonists that they were on their own.
This war was not some minor uprising of the Native Americans against a few colonists. This was the bloodiest war in American history on a percentage basis. Estimates are as high as thirty-five percent of the colonists were killed, and at least twelve of their cities were destroyed. (The Native Americans also lost a large percentage of their population.) Britain had clearly betrayed them.
Worse yet, Britain took advantage of the weakened condition that the war had left the colonies in, to exploit the colonists in new ways. They would make one agreement that included promises of aid in the time of disaster, only turn around and force a new agreement that was more advantageous to Britain, whenever the colonists were weakened by a disaster. The British continued to drive a wedge between them and the colonists ever deeper with betrayal after betrayal.
In like manner, the colonists had been guaranteed to be treated as the same as British citizens in Britain, if they would formed these British colonies in North America. This meant that they would have representation in Parliament as guaranteed by the Magna Carta. Instead, they were denied representation in Parliament. Britain had clearly betrayed them.
After a hundred years of the colonists trying to convince Britain to honor its agreements without success, the colonists finally realized that the British regarded them as little more than slaves to be exploited. British betrayal had left them with no other recourse than to break away from Britain.
So, the colonist formally informed the British that July Fourth, 1776 AD was their Independence Day.
Since that time, many other countries have come to celebrate their own Independence Day, with the largest percentage celebrating independence from Britain. Freedom is contagious.
So is the Declaration of Independence. It has been the model for similar declarations of independence since that time.
Another country with an Independence Day is Liberia. Liberia started out as an American Colony on the Pepper Coast of Africa as a place for free born African Americans, freed African American Slaves, and freed African Caribbean slaves to create their own country. The American Colonization Society created this colony in 1822 AD. Because it was an American colony, none of the European nations tried to colonize it, unlike the rest of Africa.
From the beginning, The American Colonization Society began training the returned Africans there to be self-governing. By 1847 AD, the returned Africans were ready for complete self-governance. So, they issued their own Declaration of Independence, modeled after the American Declaration of Independence. Their injustices listed as causes for separation, all related to slavery in the United States. There was no mention of revolution, since this had always been the goal. This was their Independence Day!
However, Independence Day was not a cause of celebration for everyone in America. Fredrick Douglas asked five years later, "What was the Fourth of July to a slave?". Independence Day did not begin to have meaning to all people in the United States, until after the Civil War ended slavery.
Then in 1898 AD, the Philippines declared independence from Spain, once it was apparent that America was going to decisively win the Spanish-American war. America acquired the Philippines in their victory over Spain. America was not really interested in colonization, and made the Philippines a territory, with the intention of eventual self-governance. Like Liberia, there was an intentional process of transferring more and more authority from the Americans to the natives of the Philippines.
Yet in America, Independence Day was still not a cause of celebration for everyone in America. It only began to have real meaning for most Native Americans, after they were recognized as citizens in 1924 AD. (Some tribes like The Cherokee had been made citizens from the founding of the United States, or shortly thereafter, but most tribes had not.)
Then the process of transference of governance was disrupted, when Japan invaded the Philippines and took it over during World War II. So, shortly after World War II was over, the Philippines became independent of the United States, as planned, on the Fourth of July, 1946 AD. This was the original Independence Day observed in the Philippines, but this had always been the plan. However today, Independence Day in the Philippines is the day that the Philippines originally declared independence from Spain.
The most interesting use of the Declaration of Independence as model to declare independence, is that of Vietnam.
Britain and America agreed after World War II, that every nation should be self-determinate. Shortly after that, Ho Chi Minh declared independence for Vietnam from France, in a declaration that purposely mirrored the Declaration of Independence. He intended to model the independent country of Vietnam after America, in most areas including government and economic systems.
Japan had taken Vietnam from the French in World War II, and America had liberated Vietnam from Japan in the war. Ho Chi Minh thought that the American President, Franklin Delanor Roosevelt, would support his efforts, since the situation between Vietnam and France had been similar to the situation between the original thirteen colonies and Britain.
Instead, when France decided to try to establish French rule over Vietnam again, Roosevelt supported France. Ho Chi Minh may have felt betrayed by Roosevelt, when this happened.
Eventually, Ho Chi Minh was forced to accept help from Communist China, which meant he had to adopt their government and economic systems. America then ended up engaged in a long war, as part of the Cold War strategy to contain communism.
America could have avoided the entire Vietnam War, if Roosevelt had refused to support France in resuming colonial rule over Vietnam, as he had agreed with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Vietnam would also not be suffering under a communist government today.
Still, Vietnam has an Independence Day, to commemorate when it declared independence from both Japan and France, after America liberated it from Japan.
In similar fashion, Rwanda celebrates Liberation Day on the Fourth of July. This commemorates the aid of America in bringing an end to the genocide there in 1994 AD. Freedom knows no borders.
American Independence Day is so inspirational, that it is even celebrated in other countries. Most notable is Denmark, where the largest celebration of this holiday in the world, outside of the United States, is held every year.
Independence Day is also the inspiration for the classic science fiction movie of the same name. In this movie, independence is not declared for one nation from another, but for the entire human race from alien oppressors, who plan to exploit planet Earth to death. This independence is declared on the Fourth of July, and that is the day that the entire human race begins to win its freedom from the alien oppressors.
So, Independence Day is different for different countries around the world, but what they have in common, is that it marks the day that independence from an oppressive power was declared.
All of us have been subject to an oppressive power, that has sought to exploit us our entire life through the fear of death, and we can only be delivered by the only one, who ever overcame death (Hebrews 2:14-15). That is the only way, anyone can have a personal Independence Day.
Sin makes us a slave (John 8:34). All of us have sinned (Romans 3:23).
What is Independence Day to a slave?
We must obey the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) to be made free (John 8:31-32). We need the Man of Truth to set us free from sin (John 8:34-36). The day that happens to us, is our personal Independence Day.
When is your Independence Day?
When I came in total surrender to the Man of Truth on November 13, 1982, that was my Independence Day. That was the day when I took the deal and completed The One Step Program.
When is your Independence Day?
There will also be a day when the Man of Truth returns to deliver this world from the oppressive powers that seek to destroy the human race (Revelation 19:11-21). That will be Independence Day for the entire Earth.
When is your Independence Day?
Finally there will be day, when the Man of Truth destroys the alien powers that has oppressed the human race through the fear of death (Revelation 20:7-10). That will be the greatest Independence Day!
When is your Independence Day?
Your Independence Day is the day that you come into the House of Truth, by making the Man of Truth your supreme commander, because you believe that His Father raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9).
Come into the House of Truth!
Labels: America, Independence
posted by The House Of Truth @ July 03, 2018
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